ESPN’s Need, Value Picks For Steelers Follow Common Theme

The Steelers could be convinced to address a major need after Aaron Rodgers’ public comments.

Rodgers was on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday, where he gave Pittsburgh and NFL fans nothing close to an update about his future. On the contrary, the 41-year-old teased retirement, which doesn’t bode well for the Steelers’ optimism after the All-Pro quarterback visited their facility.

Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson are the only QBs on the active roster, and if Rodgers isn’t an option, the 2025 NFL Draft could be. That’s the direction ESPN’s Matt Miller and Jordan Reid went in their Friday column. Miller picked Jalen Milroe to help fill the Steelers’ biggest need, and Reid picked Shedeur Sanders as a draft pick that would give them the best value.

“Pittsburgh has two quarterbacks right now — Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Milroe is raw, but he brings rare running ability to the position and can rip a beautiful deep ball,” Miller wrote.

“The Steelers finally get their young quarterback and receive tremendous value, too. Sanders just cracks the top 20 on my board as a poised and accurate passer who’s a true distributor,” Reid wrote.

Sanders has a wide range to be selected next week. He could go as high as No. 2 to the Cleveland Browns, but if he slipped past No. 9 to the New Orleans Saints, there is a large gap of teams that don’t need a quarterback. Pittsburgh is the consensus among analysts for how far Sanders could slip in the draft, and the Colorado product has plenty of fans in the Steel City.

But Pittsburgh could take a shot on Milroe, who’s gained momentum to be selected in the first round after being projected as a Day 2 pick. However, Pittsburgh reportedly isn’t high on the Alabama product, who’s viewed by evaluators as more of a project than someone who could start right away.

The Steelers did their homework on the major QB prospects, including Jaxson Dart, and if Rodgers doesn’t decide on his future by next Thursday, they could use their first-round pick to address the quarterback room.